Baby bouncing device



March 1954 c. v. KENNEY BABY BOUNCING DEVICE Filed April 14, 1950 11INVENTOR.

., Uzarlea flflimn y Patented Mar. 23, 1954 UNITED "STATES PTENT OFFICE"BABY BOUNCING DEVICE Charles Vr-Kenney, Chicalgmllh KppiicationApr-i114, 1950,. SerialNb. 155,980

1 "the-present invention relates "generally to a childs toy, but'rnorearuc'uiany to a novel and improved baby bouncing chair.

' "Oneo'f the primaryobjects'of the present invention is to provide anovel and improved baby deviceor baby bouncing chair, which isnot onlysturdy in construction, but which is als incapafile of being upset orturned over by the occupant thereof. 7 I

A further objector the invention is to provide a sturdy, simplifiedconstruction of 'a baby bouncing chair which'can be knocked down inarelat'ively comp act form so that the samemay be "packed intocomparatively small containers for shipment and'at the same time, thedevice c'a'n'b'e readily and easilyset up or assembled forfuse;

thereby prevent the device from being upset "or turned overaccidentally.I

These and other objects are accomplished by providing a construction andan arrangement of the various parts in the manner hereinafter" describedand pa'rtic'ul'a'rly' pointed out in the appended-claims Referring tothe drawings:

Fig. l is a front perspective View taken from one sid'e of my improvedbaby bouncing device;

Fig; '2 i's-a side perspective View taken from one' 'sld'e of thesame;

Fig. '3 is an enlargedfragmentary view partly in cross section showingthe manner in which the forward ends of the seat supporting structureorrodare inserted and secured in the tubul'ar base or main framemembers;

Fig. -i's' an enlarged fragmentary view showmg: the" manner in which therear transverse brace rod- 1's detachably secured to the upper rearends-of th'emain frame members;

"Fig. 5'is a cross sectional view taken'o'n'the Fig. 6 is an enlargedcross sectional view sho' "In illustrating one form my invention mayassume in practice, I have shown the same as comprising-a relativelywide base or main frame member; generally indicated by the reference 3Claims. (CL- 155-18 .2 character Hi; This'main frame member ispreterablymade in theform of two tubularinembers or pipes and 2. The portions l land i2 of these pipes occupy the same plane and extend parallel to oneanother and are adaptedto lay flatly on the ground or floor and havetheir rear ends bent at right angles as shown respectively at H and i2.The inner ends of the portions terminate in fiat overlapping'portionsI3,. which are adapted to be secured together by"suitable' bolts Hiextending through aligned apertures therein. The forward ends of thesetubes or pipes H and it are symmetrically bent or curved as shown at l5and 16 respectively and converge inwardly and rearwardly in a directiontoward one another as shown at I? and T8. The upper portions El and itof the main frame members are again curved rearwardly as shown at l9 and28 respectively, and terminate in cantilever-like horizontal andparallel extensions 2i and 22 re-- spectively. These elevated andhorizontal portions 2! and 22 terminate in downward and rearwardextensions 23 and 24 respectively, The rear ends 23 and 2-4 of thetubular-frame members i! and I2 are braced ordetachably secured togetherby a transverse b'owed rod 25. Located adjacent 'theopposite ends of thetransvers'e'brac'e rod 25 are oppositely disposed recesses 26 which areadapted to engage the narrowed portions or slotted openings 21 in eachof the keyholeslots 28 formed on the inner side of each of thedownwardly extending portions 23 and 2 1 of the respective mainframemembers H and 12.

From the above description it will readily be seen that by removing thebolts l4 and disconnecting the transverse rod 25 from the'opposit'ekeyhole slots 28, the mainframe members ill and H of the device-can beknocked down so as to cccupy'a relatively small space with the seatsupporting structure in a comparatively small shipping carton.

The canvas seat supporting rod and its asso ci'ated. tray are assembledtogether in one unit and similarly occupy small compact space forshipping purposes. This seat supporting, struc= ture' i's made up froma; single rod; generally indicated bytheireferenc'e character 29, andincludes an inverted U-sh'ap'ed portion 29" which isnor: mally inclinedrearwardly with respect'to the ve'rti'cal so as to engage and supportthe back portion of the canvas seat hereinafter described. The lowerportions'ofthe inverted U-shaped portion 29' are bent at right angles toform substantially horizontally spaced apart fails, as shown at 30;

These-rod portions then diverge 'outwardly'and forwardly as shown at 3|and then substantially forwardly and horizontally as shown at 32. Atthese points the rod is curved or looped into spring-like coils 33 onthe opposite sides thereof. The ends of this red 29 then terminate inforwardly bowed and downwardly extending portions as shown at 34. Theseforward end portions of the supporting seat rod 29 are adapted to bedetachably secured in slotted openings 35 on the rear side of each ofthe upwardly extending portions I1 and I8 of the mainframe tubes and I2as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. A tray, generally indicatedby the reference character 36, is supported on the seat rod 29 byoppositely projecting flanges 3'! which have their outer edges securedto and bent around the outwardly and forwardly diverging portions 3| ofthe side portions 30 of the rod. In this connection it will be notedthat the tray, together with the opposite flanges rigidly brace twospring sections at the front portion of the seat rod support withrespect to one another. The rear portions of the seat rod 29 issuspended from te horizontal portions 2| and 22 of the main frame byoppositely disposed extension springs 38 which have their lower endsconnected to apertured ear brackets 39 which, in turn, embrace theopposite rod portions 30, as clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the draw-- ings.The upper ends of each of the springs have right angularly disposedcoils 4b which are adapted to embrace each of the opposite horizontalportions 2| and 22 of the tubular frame members H and I2, as clearlyshown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6 of the drawings. A canvas seat, generallyindicated by the reference character t i, has a portion 42 formedintegrally therewith. The back portion 42 has a rear section 43 sewedthereto so as to form in effect a pocket to telescopically engage theinverted U-shaped portion 25' of the seat support rod 29, as clearlyshown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The seat portion ll haslaterally projecting overhanging flaps 44 on the opposite sides thereofwhich are adapted to engage and be supported on the opposite horizontalportions 30 of the seat supporting rod. These flaps are secured to thesides of the seat at the opposite sides of the rod by snap buttons 45. Aforwardly extending crotch strap or canvas strip 46 is formed integrallywith the seat 4| and engages a transverse rod 41 secured to the rearside of the tray 36. This crotch strap 45 is detachably secured to therod 4'! by a flap which, in turn, is detachably secured to the strip bysuitable snap buttons 48. Rubber bumpers in the form of tubes 50 embracethe horizontal portions 2| and 22 of the tubular frame members H and |2to protect the baby from injury.

From the above description it will be seen that by merely unsnapping thesnap buttons 45 and 48, the canvas seat may be completely removed forwashing purposes. In order to disconnect the seat support structure orrod 29 from the main frame, the transverse rod 25 may be detached byraising and unlocking the opposite ends from the keyhole slots 28 on theupper rear ends of the tubular main frame members Ill and I after which,by sliding the springs or coils 48) thereof rearwardly, the springs maybe detached from the opposite arms 2| and 22. Then by withdrawing thedownwardly projecting ends 34 of each of the opposite coils 33 from theopenings 35 in tubular frame members II and I2, the seat supportingstructure may beremoved from the main frame and then by removing thebolts 54, the two main frame members and I2 may be compactly insertedinto a relatively small container with the seat structure for convenientshipment in compact form.

Summarizing the advantages and functions of operation of my improvedbaby bouncing device, it will be immediately observed that thewidespread base Iil of the main frame, together with the upwardly andrearwardly converging supports ill and It, the seat as a whole issupported on spring-like horizontal portions 2| and 22 of the main frameto give spring-like action and at the same time, the additional springsupports 38 and coils 33 flexibly support the seat in position centrallywith respect to the widespread base so that the baby cannot overturn thechain forwardly or laterally or rearwardly. It will further be notedthat the transverse bar 25 in addition to rigidly securing the free endsof the tubular members together, also limits the rearward movement ofthe seat rod 29 since the rear or back portion of the seat will strikethe opposite sides or ends of the rod 25 when it is depressed to themaximum degree.

While in the above specification, I have described one embodiment whichmy invention may assume in practice, it will of course, be understoodthat the same is capable of modification and that modification may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asexpressed in the following claims.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Fatent is:

1. A baby bouncing device comprising a main frame in the form of twohorizontally spaced apart base members having their rear ends securedtogether and their forward portions converging upwardly and rearwardlytoward one another and terminating in elevated parallel portionsprojecting rearwardly in horizontally spaced apart relation, a seat andback supporting structure flexibly suspended from the elevated portionsof said main frame, a seat and back member mounted on said supportingstructure, and means positioned to the rear of said back and detachablysecuring the rear ends of the elevated portions of said main framemembers together, said last named means engageable with said back forlimiting the rearward movement of said back.

2. A baby bouncing device comprising a main frame in the form of twohorizontally spaced apart base members having their rear ends securedtogether and their forward portions converging upwardly and rearwardlytoward one another and terminating in elevated parallel portionsprojecting rearwardly in horizontally spaced apart relation, a seat andback supporting structure flexibly suspended from the elevated portionsof said main frame, a, seat and back member mounted on said supportingstructure, there being keyhole slots in the rear ends of said elevatedportions of the main frame member, and a transverse rod having itsopposite ends recessed detachably connected at the ends thereof in thekeyhole slots in said frame members, said transverse rod locatedrearwardly of said back for limiting the rearward movement of said back.

3. A baby bouncing device comprising a tubular main frame having a baseand two elevated cantilever arms positioned over said base, a seat andback support made from a single rod in the form of an inverted U-shapedback portion, spaced apart horizontal portions formed integrally withsaid U-shaped back, loops formed arms.

CHARLES V. KENNEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date Re. 20,372 Lorenz May 18, 1937 1,928,939 Larsen Oct. 3, 1933Number Number Name Date Upper Mar. 6, 1934 Brown Sept. 25, 1934 BallDec. 3, 1936 Johannsen Dec. 27, 1938 Nanna Feb. 4, 1947 Booth Mar. 18,1947 Barker Sept. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great BritainJune 18, 1945 Great Britain Sept. 12, 1947

